February 08, 2011

The La Grange plan commission Tuesday night rejected a resident's proposal to open a bed and breakfast at 232 S La Grange Rd in the village's historic district.

By a vote of 5 to 1, the commissioners ruled that resident Tom Perry's plan to convert a Victorian-era home and coach house into a B&B with six guest rooms was not an appropriate use at the location proposed.

Some commissioners who opposed Perry's application said they were receptive to the idea of allowing B&Bs to operate at other locations in the village. But Plan Commission Chairman Wayne Kardatzke said there would be no discussion of several amendments to the zoning code that would have created a special use category for B&Bs because the changes had been presented only in the context of Perry's application.

Before the vote, commissioners heard from Perry, his architect Tim Trompeter, and a handful of neighbors and other residents who supported his application.

But commissioners also listened to concerns raised by than a dozen residents, mostly neighbors, who took to the microphone to speak against the application. Most viewed the proposed B&B as a commercial intrusion that would disrupt the residential nature of their neighborhood.

Following the ruling, Perry said he would consult with members of the village staff before deciding whether or not to proceed with his application to the village board of trustees, to whom the plan commission serves only in an advisory capacity.

Four of the six village trustees—Bill Holder, Mike Horvath, Mark Langan and Jim Palermo—were among the nearly 60 residents in attendance at the meeting.

February 07, 2011

The La Grange plan commission Tuesday night will consider a resident's application to operate the village's first bed and breakfast at 232 S La Grange Rd in the historic district.

The property's owner, Thomas W. Perry, proposes to convert its single-family Victorian-era home and coach house into a B&B with six guest rooms, according to a report prepared by the village's community development department.

He told village officials that the home, built in 1889, has sat vacant for the past two years and requires substantial improvements, according to the report.

Perry, who resides nearby at 125 S La Grange Rd, also told them he has no plans to move himself into the B&B, but would include living quarters for a full-time, on-site staff person.

His proposal also includes seven parking spaces: two in the coach house and five in a parking area.

Because the village zoning code does not provide for B&Bs, the plan commission must first determine whether or not they would benefit the village, and also consider several zoning code amendments proposed in the report, before it can specifically address Perry's application and site plan.

The report's authors, La Grange Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin and Assistant Director Angela Mesaros, said said that "public testimony at the hearing will be an important component of this application and any approvals."

The hearing begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Village hall auditorium.

Any approval by the plan commission is only a recommendation to the village board of trustees, who have sole authority to adopt and amend village ordinances.

The report from Benjamin and Mesaros proposes that B&Bs, if allowed, be categorized as a special use. As such, a separate application hearing would be required for each and any prospective B&B.

The report also proposes several additional limitations on B&Bs. Some of these would:

Restrict their operation "at this time" to the historic district, and only along S La Grange Rd between Cossitt Ave and 47th St.

Allow them to utilize only single-family homes that are at least five years old, so that no existing home could be demolished in order to construct a B&B.

Require that any two B&Bs operating on the same side of the street be spaced at least 500 feet apart.

Limit the number of guest rooms to six.

Limit meal service to "breakfast and light snacks" for registered guests only. (Perry has expressed interest in obtaining a liquor license "for afternoon wine and cheese," according to the report. But that application would be directed to the village liquor commission, not the plan commission.)

Prohibit any commercial services other than lodging, e.g. spa services or retail sales.

Limit the length of stay for any guest to 14 consecutive days.

Code amendments that address off-street parking and signage specific to B&Bs also are proposed in the report.

It recommends "one parking space plus one space per guest room, and, if there are other frequent employees, then additional parking may be required." Some tandem parking is allowed.

Currently no signs identifying commercial establishments are permitted within residentials areas. The report proposes that each B&B be allowed one ground sign only. It cannot exceed eight square feet and cannot be illuminated by internal light.

Perry proposes to hang his B&B sign from a light post in front of the house.

Additional requirements and critieria are detailed in the 14-page staff report. Click here to view it in PDF. Or click here to view a 50-page PDF containing the report, Perry's application and related documentation.

January 20, 2011

A Cook County circuit court judge today reaffirmed her decision allowing the Park District of La Grange to sell 2.82 acres of Gordon Park.

Judge Susan Fox Gillis, in a hearing held this morning, denied a motion from attorneys representing a group of residents who oppose the sale that asked her to vacate the judgment she made in favor of the Park District last Oct. 8 at the conclusion a four-day trial.

Today's ruling "has, in effect, completed the case before the trial court," Robert Bush, the Park District's attorney, said at tonight's regular meeting of the park board.

But Tom Beyer, an attorney for the residents group, La Grange Friends of the Parks, told Gillis he would be filing another motion within the next few weeks asking her to impose a stay prohibiting the Park District from selling the acreage until the case can be argued before the Illinois Appellate Court.

In rejecting today's motion to vacate her ruling, Gillis said that "the Friends bring no new evidence to change the mind of the court."

The objections raised in the motion—which include the Friends' contention that the land to be sold involves more than three acres, and that the Illinois statute governing the sale is unconstitutional— already had been dealt with during hearings that preceded the October trial, Gillis said.

"They have been argued and reargued and reargued," Gillis said in a tone that conveyed her annoyance at having to address the objections one last time. "The Park District has met its burden by any standard that may apply."

An exchange between the Beyer and Gillis grew testy as the attorney pressed the judge to explain her reasons for finding that the Park Commissioners Land Sale Act was not unconstitutional.

"You have denied [our motion] but you have never given us your reasoning as to why you believe it is constitutional," Beyer told the judge.

Gillis responded that Beyer could find the answer in the transcripts of case's earlier proceedings, which spanned more than 18 months.

The judge also denied Beyer's request that, in the event the park land is eventually sold, any proceeds be earmarked for the renovation of the remaining acreage in Gordon Park.

Bush, the Park District's attorney, had argued during the trial that the planned renovation of Gordon Park was a more compelling reason for selling than the acreage than was the park board's contention that the 2.82 acres was no longer useful or needed for park purposes. Bush's presentation in October included major testimony detailing the specific amenities that would be included in a renovation.

But Gillis today said she believed the renovation plans were intended "not to show what [the park district] would do with the money, but what could be done."

The park board, at a regular meeting held last October just days following its victory in court, voted to reject all of the bids it had solicited for the renovation of Gordon Park and shelve the project indefinitely. There would not be adequate funds unless and until the 2.82 acres was sold, they concluded.

The board at that meeting also approved a grant application seeking state funds to cover three-quarters of the cost of a $2 million fitness center it then decided to pursue.

While still awaiting word on the grant, the park board in an informal vote at tonight's meeting decided to continue moving forward on plans for the fitness center after receiving positive input from staff members on the project's feasibility.

Tonight's regular meeting of the La Grange Park District board of commissioners will be the last one held on the third Thursday of the month, the night on which the park board traditionally has met for the past several years.

Park commissioners at their Dec. 16 meeting voted unanimously to switch their meeting nights to the second Monday of each month, beginning in February. The meeting time will remain at 7:30 p.m.

Park Board President Mary Ellen said the change in meeting dates was considered because some members had problems attending the Thursday meetings on a consistent basis.

"Each of us have had conflicts over the past year or two that seem to be creeping up more and more often," she said.

Commissioner Tim Kelpsas noted that four regular meetings in 2010 had been rescheduled due to such conflicts. Also, attedance concerns resulted in July's meeting being canceled.

Penicook and Kelpsas each said they favored a Monday night meeting. The second and fourth weeks were suggested because the park district's attorney, Rob Bush, was available on those Mondays.

Commissioner Brad Belcaster supported the motion but said he had no problem attending Thursday meetings. He also expressed concern about having adequate time to review materials over a weekend in order to prepare for a Monday night meeting.

Commissioner Chris Walsh said he had no meeting-night preference. Board Vice President Rob Ashby was present but did not participate in the discussion.

Moving the regular meetings to second Monday nights also creates an overlap with the La Grange village board of trustees, which also routinely conducts a regular session on second Mondays. The park board did not address the overlap in its discussion.

When asked about it after the meeting, Belcaster and Penicook both said it presented no conflict for them because neither usually attends village board meetings.

Both face re-election April 5.

The third candidate in the park board race, Lynn Lacey, last week said that she had not been contacted prior to the Dec. 16 meeting about her schedule availability.

During a Dec. 1 interview with the Citizens' Council of La Grange, Lacey said one of the reasons she decided to seek election to the park board is that her Thursday nights were open.

But attending Monday night meetings would not be a problem if she is elected, Lacey said.

April will be an exception to the park board's new schedule, with that month's meeting occuring on the third Monday of the month. This will allow the Park District's annual budget to be posted for at least 30 days, as required by law, prior to that meeting, Dean Bissias, the park district's executive director, said.

January 14, 2011

An incident Jan. 6 in which a S Catherine Ave homeowner phoned La Grange police claiming that a man posing as a new neighbor attempted to gain access to the house prompted police and other village officials to issue a crime prevention alert regarding "ruse" burglaries.

The Catherine Ave incident appears to be the latest attempt in a string of such burglaries in La Grange and surrounding communities dating back to Nov. 2 when a homeowner in the 800 block of S La Grange Rd told police that a man entered the yard and inquired about trimming some hedges. Meanwhile, according to the homeowner, a second person allegedly entered the home and stole about $500 in cash, which was not discovered missing until the next day.

Victims of ruse burglaries. also known as "gypsy scams," often are elderly residents who are both trusting and easily distracted, La Grange Police Investigator Patrick Fulla said.

The Catherine Ave homeowner is a senior citizen, Fulla said, but one who was alert enough to be suspicious when the stranger, claiming to be a new neighbor, asked to be let inside the home to exchange contact information. Instead, the homeowner shut the door and immediately called police.

No one was apprehended by police in that incident, Fulla said.

An alert posted on the village's website warns that "ruse" perpetrators sometimes have posed as representatives of utility companies, and even the village itself. Often they ask a homeowner to come look at something in the yard, garage or basement as a means of distracting them while an accomplice rummages through the house grabbing cash and other easily concealed valuables, then makes a hasty exit.

"It may be four or five days before the homeowner realizes something is missing," Fulla said.

Residents should always demand identification from individuals claiming to be with the village or a utility company, according to the village's alert.

The alert also cautions residents not to leave doors unlocked or go into their yards with anyone that they do not know.

"Any suspicious behavior is reason to call us," Fulla said.

"We want to protect all our residents and particularly our seniors," Village President Elizabeth Asper said after reading the alert aloud at Monday night's meeting of the village board.

January 11, 2011

A village board workshop to discuss several possible actions to improve pedestrian and traffic safety along the 47th St corridor has been scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 25, La Grange President Elizabeth Asperger said Monday night.

The actions to be discussed include reconfiguring 47th St from a four-lane thoroughfare to three lanes, an idea explored in a feasibility study prepared by KLOA Inc., a traffic and transport planning and enginnering firm based in Rosemont.

The board also will evaluate the current operation of a pedestrian-activated signal crossing near the intersection of 47th St and 9th Ave, and discuss whether or not to install a similar crossing at Waiola Ave and 47th St, Asperger said.

Signalizing the intersection of East Ave and 47th St also will be explored, she said.

KLOA was hired by the village in May 2010 to study the feasibility of converting 47th St to three lanes.

Also at that time, the firm was asked to conduct an "origin and destination" study in which vehicle license plate information was captured at major intersections along 47th St, and then matched with plate information obtained from vehicles at La Grange Memorial Hospital, the Lyons Township High School main and south campuses, and the two Metra commuter train stations in the village.

The results of that study also will be discusssed by the village board at the Jan. 25 workshop.

The workshop will follow a normal business meeting of the board, which has been moved from its originally scheduled date of Jan. 24. The change was made to accommodate the availability of KLOA's representatives, Asperger said.

The village's efforts to improve pedestrian safety along 47th St were accelerated by a public outcry following an accident on May 19, 2009, in which a young Countryside mother, Cari Lyn Cook, was struck and killed by an SUV while crossing the road at 8th Ave with her two small children.

Several proposed changes to the village zoning code that would regulate many of the structures found in the yards of residents—including patios, trellises, outdoor kitchens, and even portable storage units—were discussed Monday night by the La Grange board of trustees.

The changes also would allow larger real estate signs and require a minimum view clearance for driveways entrances and corner lots.

No vote was taken on the changes, which were proposed by the village plan commission following public hearings conducted last October and November.

December 31, 2010

A $45,000 payment agreed to by the Village of La Grange to settle a lawsuit filed against it by pawnbroker Andrew Grayson will be partially covered by an Illinois municipal risk pool. But village officials refuse to disclose the details of that arrangement.

The Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency (IRMA), based in Westchester, also provided lawyers to represent the village in the lawsuit, filed last July by Grayson in the U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to its website, IRMA "is a risk sharing pool of 73 local municipalities [including La Grange] and special service districts in northeastern Illinois, which have joined together to manage and fund their property/casualty/workers’ compensation claims. All members also participate in a comprehensive risk management program."

Assistant Village Manager Andrianna Peterson this week confirmed that IRMA and the village would share the costs of settling the lawsuit, in which Grayson alleged that village officials in 2009 successfully conspired with restaurant owner Michael LaPidus, then-president of the La Grange Business Association, to prevent him from opening a pawn shop at 71 S La Grange Rd, next to Village Hall, after Grayson already had been granted a business license, thereby violating his civil right to due process.

But Peterson declined a request to provide a specific accounting of the how the costs would be divided. Instead, she cited an exemption under Section 7(1)(s) of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which allows public bodies to withhold information related to "[a]ny and all proprietary information and records related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk management association or self-insurance pool or jointly self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool."

Invoking an allowed FOIA exemption is an option not a requirement, according to the statute.

Peterson did confirm that the settlement agreement pertains only to Grayson's suit against the village, and does not address any liability on behalf of LaPidus.

Neither does the settlement affect a separate, related federal lawsuit filed against both the village and LaPidus by a bank trust held on behalf of Fifth Avenue Property Management, which owns and manages the retail space at 71 La Grange Rd, for which Grayson signed a one-year lease.

December 28, 2010

Owner David Toan last week said he expected to have the storefront at 35 S La Grange Rd cleaned out by today. A second studio and gallery in Oak Park remains open.

Toan said the La Grange facility—which opened in Spring 2007, offering classes in clay modeling, tile making, mosaics and raku—"just never caught on."

A soured economy also hurt attempts to grow the business, Toan said.

"When the economy went bad [in late 2008], we felt it first in Oak Park, then in La Grange," he said. But while business has rebounded in Oak Park, the downturn has lingered in La Grange.

"Nothing was trending upwards in La Grange," Toan said. "People there are very careful with their money."

Toan said he also was disappointed with the lack of pedestrian retail traffic on La Grange Rd, noting that he selected a high-profile location in hopes of generating sales for the studio's retail gallery.

"We were paying good money to be on La Grange Rd, but it's become a food court that isn’t a healthy for retail business," he said, referring to the growing number of restaurants that have opened in the village's central business district, heralding its emergence as a premiere dining destination in the western suburbs.

The Oak Park facility, by contrast, is located in a small neighborhood retail strip, four blocks north of that city's downtown Lake St corridor.

Terra Incognito's closing also will create another, larger void in the community that may be harder to fill than a vacant storefront.

Toan and his studio spearheaded two Empty Bowls fundraisers. This year's event, held in April, raised $25,o00 for local food pantries.

Another success story for Terra Incognito in La Grange was the formation of the Village Potters, a group of some 20 students who met while taking clay classes at the studio. For the past two years, the group has sold their wares on Thursdays at the Farmers Market next to Village Hall.

One the potters, Curt Hansman, of La Grange, said she was saddened by the closing of Terra Incognito. The group is hoping to find an alternative venue in the community where they can continue to meet and create with clay, she said.

December 23, 2010

Three candidates will vie for two openings on the Park District of La Grange board of commissioners in the consolidated election scheduled for April 5, according to an "unofficial" certificate of ballot released Tuesday by park district officials.

Here are the candidates in the order they will appear on the ballot:

Mary Ellen Penicook135 E 8th Ave

Bradley Belcaster124 N Edgewood Ave

Lynn C. Lacey135 Sawyer Ave

Penicook and Belcaster are incumbent Park commissioners. Lacey, a longtime community activist, is seeking her first elected public office.

Penicook currently serves as the park board president.

Belcaster was appointed to the board in May of this year to serve out the remaining term of Rob Metzger, who resigned due to career and family commitments.

Lacey and Penicook are running as members of a non-partisan slate endorsed by the Citizens' Council of La Grange.